Photo Credit| Episcopal Diocese of Liwolo

A joint humanitarian team has carried out an assessment in Liwolo Payam of Kajo-Keji County following an alleged attack by the Uganda People’s Defence Forces, or UPDF, along the South Sudan-Uganda border.

The assessment follows reports last week by Kajo-Keji County authorities that fighting erupted after the UPDF allegedly crossed into South Sudan and attacked an SSPDF position near the border.

County Commissioner Wani Jackson Mule had said the clashes displaced civilians from several border villages, with many seeking refuge in Liwolo Payam and Sokare Boma.

The humanitarian assessment brought together humanitarian organizations, government officials, church leaders, community representatives, and members of the media, who visited the villages of Sokare, Keriwa, Mangalotore, Mangaloti, and Logo to assess the situation of affected families.

In a statement posted on its official Facebook page on Sunday, the Episcopal Diocese of Kajo-Keji said many of those displaced fled with only the clothes they were wearing. The diocese said some families are sheltering under trees, while others have taken refuge in abandoned school buildings after fleeing the violence.

The assessment found that the displaced families urgently require food assistance, clean drinking water, emergency shelter, healthcare services, and other essential household items, with women, children, older persons, and people living with disabilities among the most vulnerable.

The Diocese appealed to humanitarian agencies, development partners, government institutions, the private sector, and individuals of goodwill to provide immediate assistance, saying timely support is critical to save lives, restore dignity, and give hope to families affected by the conflict.